High-speed chase through Eureka ends with 2 arrested

A high-speed chase Sunday morning through Eureka ended with two out-of-state residents in custody, a car rolled over in a field just west of U.S. Highway 101 and minor injuries, according to authorities.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Tami McCanless said the pursuit began in Eureka, and CHP officers picked up the car – a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica – at 12:35 a.m. in the safety corridor near Bayside.

"When we picked up the car, the driver was driving at unsafe speeds and increased to between 90 and 100 mph as the chase ensued," McCanless said. "The driver went north and exited at School Road in McKinleyville, then turned around and headed south on the 101. The driver then lost control of the vehicle and rolled over in a field just west of the highway."

The driver, 24-year-old Patrick Rector from Dagsboro, Del., was arrested on suspicion of felony evading an officer and felony DUI. Rector's passenger, 25-year-old Jeffrey Bremser from Perry, Maine, was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

Eureka Police Department Police Services Officer Brittany Kesterson said an officer attempted to stop Rector at 12:27 a.m. for reckless driving near the 400 block of F Street when he failed to stop.

"The pursuit ensued, and the vehicle reached speeds of approximately 60 mph throughout the city, and he continued to flee out of the city on northbound 101," Kesterson said. "The pursuit was ended when officers advised that speeds had reached 110 mph on the highway, and CHP picked it up from there."

Rector and Bremser were treated and released from Mad River Hospital for minor injuries. Both men were booked into the Humboldt County jail.